Add another demonstration to the list of unhappy mobs around town: down in the quiet hillside hamlet of Bernal Heights, some twenty parents of children at the Paul Revere School gathered at the school this morning to protest strict new changes laid out by the school's recently installed principal. According to Bay City News, principal Sheila Sammon who is beginning her second year with the K-8 college prep school, has taken to punishing children for taking bathroom breaks and effectively banned parents from volunteering where their kids go to school.
As one advocate for low-income and immigrant families explained it, the changes are a backhanded move, "to get low-performing students to attend another school so Paul Revere's test scores improve." Adding to the drama, there are also allegations flying around that Sammon has intimidated or threatened parents who speak up about the changes.
The S.F. Unified School District, on the other hand, insists the new principal is simply running a tight ship. A spokeswoman for the USD told the press that Paul Revere's staff, "have put more systems and structures in place to ensure a safe learning environment, and for some students and parents, this has meant an adjustment."
